Wasted
by Unwritten.25
Summary: SLASH. Sess/HP. HP/IY crossover. Harry Potter managed to defeat Voldemort. The only catch is that he has to go into another time – or, more precisely, Feudal Era Japan.
1. Prologue: Goodbyes

**Summary:** Harry Potter managed to defeat Voldemort. The only catch is that he has to go into the past – or, more precisely, Feudal Era Japan.

**Pairings:** Sesshoumaru/Harry, Kouga/Inuyasha, one-sided Inuyasha/Kagome, mentioned Miroku/Sango.

**Disclaimer:** Do you really think Inuyasha and Harry would be straight if I owned the rights to them?

**Warnings:** This story contains **SLASH** and **HET**. There might be a smidgeon of **Kagome bashing** mostly because I don't like her character in canon. I promise to try and keep from being extreme about it. Probably some **OOCness** as well. **Swearing**, some **violence** and probably some **mature content** included as well. If you don't like any of this, then hit the back button.

**Author's Note:** So, for any newcomers, this is the re-vamped version of my old story _More Than Useless_. Hopefully it's better than the original version!

* * *

**Wasted  
****Prologue: Goodbyes**

**August 2****nd****, 1999**

"Come out to die, Harry Potter!"

Voldemort knew that Potter was crouching low behind a statue, hiding away from the killing spells the child doubtlessly was aware Voldemort would throw at him. Voldemort, on the other hand, stalked the room he'd converted in the Malfoy home to be his throne room. He knew that he would be wearing a look of glee – finally, he had Harry Potter in his grasp, and the boy had no place to go! The child could only die here, and Voldemort would finally be free of him. Voldemort caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and he instantly turned on his heel, his wand out.

_"Crucio,"_ Voldemort murmured, with an almost sibilant hiss to his voice.

However, the spell flashed just past Potter's foot as he dove behind another statue. Voldemort, knowing his location now, inched closer, a smirk lifting the corners of his mouth. The child was only delaying the inevitable. He wouldn't be able to survive this battle. Why Potter had decided to come and confront him alone, without any other people to protect him, was a mystery to Voldemort – surely the boy had to realize that he wasn't skilled enough to even _wound_ Voldemort? Still, Voldemort didn't complain about the stupidity of his opponents. It just made it all that much easier to beat them.

Voldemort stared at the statue he knew Potter was hiding behind. "Are you scared, Mr. Potter?" he whispered, his words echoing in the empty room. "Do you wish to fight death, as I have? Or will you accept it, as your old fool did?"

_"Expelliarmus!"_ Potter cried, darting out from behind the statue, taking the bait as Voldemort had anticipated.

Voldemort calmly took a step to the left, dodging the spell. It was a very strong spell, he could admit, but it would not be enough to defeat _him_.

"Is that all you have, Mr. Potter?" he murmured. "A few party tricks? Where it the prophecy child, the one who is supposed to be able to defeat me? Where is my equal?" Voldemort eyed Potter, who was circling him, his eyes narrowed either with concentration or anger. Voldemort sneered. "This is all the light has to offer?" he demanded. "They only have you, an ordinary child with no special training and no particular skills? Where is your _power the Dark Lord knows not_, Potter? Let me see it!"

Voldemort was reluctantly impressed when, instead of rising to the bait, Potter raised his wand again and cried, _"Stupefy!"_

Voldemort dodged again. "Give me more, Potter!" he cried, confident with the knowledge that there was no way that Potter could beat him. The child was simply too _weak_. "Surely you can do more than these basic spells! Surely you have more _power_!"

Potter had stopped circling him. Instead, he stood in front of Voldemort, a few feet away, his wand out and his face obscured by shadow. Voldemort fingered his own wand. He doubted that he would need it, but Potter had proved to be slippery in the past when he wanted to be, and Voldemort didn't want to let him get away yet _again_. No, today would be the day that Harry Potter would die, once and for all.

"Why don't you just kill me, Tom?" Potter asked softly.

Voldemort's smile was more a grimace. For once the boy spoke sense. "You are right, of course," he said, inclining his head. "I find too often that I like to play with my food."

He wanted Potter to die, but he wanted to drag it out. This was a boy who had evaded death by his hands for _seventeen years_. No one had ever lasted that long against Voldemort except Dumbledore, and even that old man had died by now. He wanted to _savor_ Potter's death.

Potter took a step forward. "That's a nasty habit, Tom," he said, almost pleasantly. "I think it's time you grow out of it."

Potter raised his wand. Voldemort didn't raise his. Potter wouldn't be able to touch him, no matter what spell he used. Still, he was curious to see what Potter up his sleeve. His enemy was infuriating, but there were times when he could be almost clever. He wouldn't have been able to survive so long if he hadn't been.

Potter spoke in Latin, slowly at first, but gaining speed with every word. They were words of power – not a spell, not really, but the invoking words of a very ancient ritual. Voldemort recognized it. He had studied it as a child, when he'd been obsessed with learning everything he could about magic, especially the old ways. He remembered what exactly this ritual entailed, and his eyes widened with horror. He knew what Potter was trying to do. Voldemort tried to raise his wand, but found that his arm was frozen. He couldn't move. He could only watch as Potter continued to speak, magic thickening in the room until it was almost visible – a thin, shimmery veil of white, covering everything around them.

Potter's words slowed and, eventually, they stopped. He stood panting in the middle of the room, looking drained despite the fact that he hadn't used a spell. Voldemort knew it was because the ritual demanded more magic than some of the most complicated spells. For a moment, the room was quiet and Voldemort had a brief feeling of hope. Perhaps Potter hadn't had enough power, perhaps he hadn't researched it thoroughly—

Then, with an incredibly loud boom, the air _ripped_.

Voldemort screamed when the white light that had been shimmering in the air brightened until it was unbearable to look at. The light dimmed almost as soon as it had brightened, leaving the room empty except for two shimmering doors against the wall that hadn't been there seconds ago. Voldemort felt terror stutter in his throat. One of the doors shimmered gently, a dark gold-green color. The other, however, was a deep, stark black. It didn't shimmer and, in fact, looked almost normal – except for the feeling of malice coming off of it. It was then that Voldemort knew, without a doubt, that Potter had succeeded. And, beneath the terror and the rage at being defeated, he felt a kind of respect.

Potter came up to his prone body. He didn't like triumphant or smug or even happy. He just looked tired.

"This is the end of it, Tom," he said quietly.

Without further ado, Potter took him to the black door. With every step there, Voldemort could better feel the malice emanating from the door, and his terror increased. He wished that he could struggle, but his body was still frozen. Potter placed him in front of the door, carefully keeping Voldemort between himself and the door.

"Have fun in hell," Potter murmured, then pushed Voldemort's body.

Voldemort fell into the black door and screamed as he felt his body fill with the most agonizing _pain_. The blackness was encasing his body, wrapping him until, slowly, he disappeared. Moments after his body was gone, the black door disappeared as well, fading from the wall.

Harry Potter watched his greatest enemy disappear with a neutral expression. With a heavy sigh, he turned to the green-gold door, which pulsed as soon as he looked upon it. Harry smiled. Carefully, he came up to it and placed his hand in the center of the door. Immediately, green-gold light began surrounding his fingers and hand. Unlike Voldemort, Harry felt no pain. Instead, he all he felt was warmth. Harry took another step forward, and the green-gold light began encasing his body as well.

And then, with a flash of green-gold light, Harry Potter was gone.

* * *

_Extract from "The Dictionary of Japanese Youkai" by Noki Su_

_Kurohyou Youkai_

_The Kurohyou ("Black panther") youkai originated in Japan as a hybrid of a regular of the normal hyou youkai. During the Feudal Era of Japan, when youkai activity flourished, the kurohyou were actually quite rare, mostly because many of them ended up being sterile. Only a very few lines flourished past that era._

_The kurohyou youkai typically have all the attributes of the hyou youkai – the panther youkai shape, as well as increased speed, strength and senses. Their markings are usually more jagged in shape than other youkai, but the color and the brightness of them depends purely on the youkai's heritage. The youkai also have poisonous claws, which are more pronounced than some youkai breeds. The hanyou for the kurohyou often have both ear and tail attributes instead of the usual ear only, which is theorized to being because cats depend so much on their tails. _

_The kurohyou are loner youkai and often don't take family beyond a mate and whatever children they're able to produce. As for the children, kurohyou cubs develop quickly. With the full youkai, they develop extraordinarily quick, often coming into their powers early. However, the hanyou develops more slowly. In the few cases of kurohyou hanyou seen, they often are born with the tail and ears, but come into their power sometime in their late teenage years. _

* * *

_Extract from "Old and Dangerous Dark Rituals" by P.H. Lawrence_

_Viator per Universitas Ritual_

_The Viator per Universitas Ritual (roughly translated to "travelling through worlds") is an old and difficult ritual to perform. The very basic nature of it is that it uses the wizard's store of magic to rip a hole between different worlds to travel between. _

_It was created in 1209 by Hyperion Black, as a means of revenge. He wanted to kill Jonathan Travis, a psychopath that had murdered Hyperion's wife, Stephanie. He spent years researching ways to open a doorway to hell, or a hell-like dimension, before he managed to figure out a way to rip through the world's fabric using his own innate magic. _

_The ritual requires an extraordinary amount of magic, and oftentimes it has been tried and failed because of this. If the wizard performing it doesn't have enough magic, the ritual fails and the wizard usually dies from overextending his magic. However, if the wizard has enough magic to perform the ritual, then the doors will open._

_The catch of the ritual is that the wizard casting must also travel through the door as well, as payment for sending someone through the doorway to hell. The castor, however, doesn't travel to a hell-like dimension, but instead travels to a dimension that magic itself chooses. They are never allowed to perform the ritual again, or to return to their home world. _

_The Viator per Universitas Ritual has been labeled as Dark precisely because of this stipulation. However, innately, the ritual is neither dark nor light, but neutral, as many rituals that do not require blood are. There has been debates among academics about whether sending a man to hell can be enough to label a ritual dark—_

_[the rest of the page has been burned away]_

* * *

_Dear Whomever It May Concern,_

_By the time you receive this letter, I'll be gone._

_I know that we've been debating for weeks on the best way to defeat Voldemort, but a few days ago I found the page attached tucked inside one of the books I'd be searching through in the Grimmauld Library. Hermione will no doubt berate me for trying something so difficult when I know next to nothing about it, but I believe it was the only way to get rid of him._

_By the time you read this, Voldemort should also be gone. The sooner you move in to make sure that none of his Death Eaters decide to take over for him, the better. It shouldn't be too hard for you. They'll be confused and disoriented from Voldemort's disappearance._

_Since I will never see any of you again, there are a few finals things I need to take care of in this letter._

_My Last Will and Testament is currently resting in Gringotts, ready to be read. I have spoken with the Goblins, and this time tomorrow I will be officially declared dead. I suppose the reading of the Will be sometime next week._ _Any personal remarks will be contained in that Will. I know that pretty much everyone in the Order is getting something (yes, that means you too, Severus), and I'm sure all of you will be invited to attend._

_May you all have a long and happy life,  
__Harry Potter_

* * *

_THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF HARRY POTTER_

_. . . . _

_TO Hermione Granger, I grant 15,000 galleons as well as any of the books from the libraries in any of my properties that she wants, as well as full access to all of them for the rest of her life. She also receives the small property I have in southern Wales, which contains a two-story house and the forty acres of land surrounding it. Hermione, you have been one of the best friends I could have asked for. You have more courage than any other person I know._

_TO Ronald Weasley, I grant 20,000 galleons, as well as the property in northern England which contains a four-story house and the sixty acres surrounding it. Ron, we had our disagreements, but we always came back together in the end, and that's all that matters. Thank you for standing by me all of these years, despite how abysmal I am chess. _

_TO the Weasley family, I grant 50,000 galleons, as well as the property in eastern England, which contains a four story house and the fifty acres surrounding it. They are also to have complete access to any of the shares I have in magical and muggle business, except for the ones I specifically give to other people. Thank you all for showing me that families can love each other too._

_TO Severus Snape, I leave 15,000 galleons, as well as the small Apocathery located on Diagon Alley, currently titled Potions and Things (I expect you to give it a better name, Severus), as well as control of any potions-oriented business shares (I believe there are three in all). He is also to receive a small property in northern Scotland, which contains a two-story house and the thirty acres surrounding it. Severus, you've taught me so much. I'm sorry for how I treated you for the first seven years of our acquantince, and I'm glad I was able to get to know you better. You truly are a heroic man._

_TO Remus Lupin, I leave 30,000 galleons, as well as the property in southern Scotland (which, I have been told, is called "The Marauders' Pad") which contains a three-story house and the thirty acres surrounding it. I'm sorry to leave you on your own Moony, but you have to know how much I love you. _

_TO The Order of the Phoenix, I leave the property of Grimmauld Place, which consists of a four-story house. If there's ever a need for it again, you have my full permission to use it as your headquarters once more. Otherwise, leave it empty. There's too many bad memories in that house now. If someone could make sure that Kreacher gets work in Hogwarts as well, I would be most grateful._

_TO Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, I leave the Black title and what's left of the fortune after it has been divided according to this will, as well as the remaining properties. I know that you were only protecting your family as best as you could, and I can't blame you for that._

* * *

Harry Potter blinked slowly awake.

He was lying in a field of tall grass, and he could feel ants crawling on his hands. Slowly, he sat up. His entire ached, as if he was covered with one solid bruise. Harry groaned, bringing a hand to his head. Where was he?

Slowly, his memories began coming back to him. He remembered finding the scrap of information about the ritual, the risky run he'd made into Voldemort's lair, seeing Voldemort being drawn into the black door and being drawn slowly into his own green-gold one . . . . Harry shook his head. He didn't remember passing out, but he supposed he must have when the door had closed around him, for from then on his memory was blank.

Harry stood and stretched, groaning as his stiff muscles started to loosen with a protest. He brought his hand up to his throat, where a small black charm hung around a thick leather cord, sighing in relief that it was still in place. The charm was actually his trunk, spelled to be tiny. Harry had known that he was going to be going to a new world, and had prepared accordingly.

Harry took another deep breath and reached for his magic. He was relieved to find that some of it had replenished while he'd been knocked out, and his reserves were no longer close to empty. Harry then turned his attention to his surroundings.

It looked like he was standing in some sort of field. He was surrounded by grass and, in the distance, he could see the beginnings of a forest. Harry wondered where he was – he wondered _when_ he was. He wondered if could take off his glamour yet. Harry sighed. It would probably be best to see how this world dealt with youkai before he did that.

Harry had found out about his heritage when he'd turned sixteen, three years ago. He'd gone to sleep one night and woken up with ears and a tail and, when he looked in the mirror, jagged lines on his face, as well as cat pupils in eyes that no longer needed glasses. That day, he'd received a letter from his father and mother, telling him about his mother's heritage.

Lily Evans had hidden her youkai heritage her entire life. She'd been told she was adopted when she was very young, when she'd begun questioning why she had to put make-up over the bright green, jagged marks covering her face. Her mother had sat her down and told her that a couple had come to the Evans a few years earlier and begged them to take in their tiny baby daughter, telling them about her youkai heritage. They'd said that they were being hunted, and that they wanted their baby daughter to be safe. As soon as the Evans family agreed, they left, only leaving behind the name to give to the child – Lily.

When she was older, Lily had tried to research her heritage, but always ran into dead ends. She didn't know who her parents were, or if they'd survived. What she did know was that she wanted to hide her son's heritage, especially with the threat of Voldemort hanging over their heads. She had become so used to hiding her own heritage, that she automatically began doing the same for Harry. She covered him with glamour after glamour, until she managed to come up with a way to permenantly cover him. She'd told him the letter that after she died, it would likely take years for it to come off, and if it did come off, it would be one single moment.

Harry had immediately began researching the demon Lily said she was – the kurohyou youkai. In the meantime, he'd continued his mother's tradition and had hidden his ears and tail under a constant glamour. Not even Ron and Hermione knew about them. He'd meant to tell them after the war was over, but now . . . .

Harry sighed. If he was lucky, he'd come to a world that welcomed youkai. Otherwise, he'd be living under constant glamours _again_. Harry looked down the field. Well, the only way to find out was to try and find some civilization and see where he was. With another sigh, he started to make his way towards the line of trees in the distance.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The prologue! Next chapter should come out next Weds. I hope you guys enjoy this new version. I feel much better about this version already, to be honest. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 1: The Hermit

**Wasted  
****Chapter One: The Hermit**

Often the people that are most important in your life are the ones that you least expect to be. (Unknown)

* * *

**The Western Lands**

Inuyasha lifted his head, sniffing deeply. The air smelled normal - the scents of dozens of different animals reached his nose, as well as old scents from the day before. Nothing was out of place. And yet, Inuyasha could feel the hairs on the back of his neck raising, a warning of some approaching danger. His instincts were screaming at him - _look out, look out!_ Something was _off_. What was frustrating was that Inuyasha couldn't tell _what_.

"Inuyasha? What is it?" Inuyasha turned his head to see Kagome watching him worriedly from her usual position on his back. "You look like something's wrong," she added when he didn't say anything, a furrow between her eyebrows. "Do you sense something?"

"Nah," he said, lying to her easily. Whatever his instincts said, his senses were telling a different story. This part of the forest was empty of anyone looking to hurt them, and it wouldn't do to worry Kagome because he was being paranoid. "Just thought I caught the scent of some deer, that's all." They all knew how much Inuyasha liked meat.

Kagome huffed. "You and your deer," she muttered. Inuyasha decided not to tell her that even if she muttered or whispered, he could still hear everything she said. The perks of being a hanyou. "I don't' see why you can't lay off of them," she added, more loudly.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Don't you always bring that food – what's it called, bumburgers or something?"

He could smell Kagome's embarrassment. "Hamburgers, Inuyasha," she corrected. "And besides," she added, "that's different!"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Yeah?" he asked. "How?"

Kagome fumbled. "Well—" she started, then tried again, "It just _is_, okay?" Inuyasha heard her impatient huff against his back.

Inuyasha smirked a little. "Lemme know when you come up with a better argument," he said teasingly. Kagome was fun to rile up – well, at least when she was on his back. She didn't usually use her command when she could end up in the dirt too.

They were silent for a while before Kagome asked, "Are the others still flying above us?" She knew that Inuyasha would be able to sense them.

Inuyasha reached out with his youkai, finding his packmates easily after a year and a half of exposure to each other. "Yeah, they're still there," he said. "Why'd you ask?"

"I'm sensing some shard pieces," Kagome said. "They're about . . . a mile up, maybe? I think there's four or five."

Inuyasha's body tensed. He wondered if it was a coincidence that Kagome should sense shards in a forest that was making him on edge. Inuyasha didn't believe in coincidence.

"We're supposed to stop in a half-hour for lunch," He said. "Can you point us towards the shards then?"

He felt Kagome's nod against his back. "Yeah, the closer we are, the better I can feel them," she assured him.

"Good," Inuyasha said. He could feel his blood thrumming, the prospect of a fight exciting him. They hadn't seen any action for a good week, and it made Inuyasha antsy. It was also surprising – usually Sesshoumaru came by every time this month. It was the anniversary of their father's death soon, something Inuyasha had learned from his mother when he'd asked her why she cried that day, every year.

Kagome and Inuyasha didn't talk again until they came to the proposed meeting spot – a clearing halfway through the forest that Sango knew because she'd travelled this way before. The clearing was surrounded by tulips, which was how they were to know where to stop. Usually, the group travelled together, but when it came to forests, it was sometimes easier for Inuyasha and Kagome to travel alone through the trees as Sango, Miroku and Shippou (all on Kirara) travelled in the air above.

Kirara and her riders were already on the ground when Inuyasha and Kagome arrived. Sango was squatting down, already trying to start a small fire, which Miroku leaned against Kirara's side and appreciated the view. Shippou, on Kirara's back, was fast asleep.

"Kagome sensed a shard," Inuyasha announced as he bent to let Kagome off of his back. Miroku straightened immediately, and Sango got back to her feet, the fire abandoned for the moment.

"Can you tell us where exactly it is?" Sango asked excitedly. She was just as anxious for some action as Inuyasha was. Inuyasha smiled a bit to himself –out of all of them, Sango was closest to him in spirit. She was as blunt as he was, and could be equally as bloodthirsty.

Kagome frowned and closed her eyes, concentrating. Finally, she said, "It feels like it's about a half-mile up that way," she waved her hand to the north. Her frown deepened. "Also," she said, "It's definitely in someone's body. The feelings – muffled, almost. It's the same kind of feeling I get from Kouga."

Inuyasha frowned, growling on instinct at the wolf's name, but the rest of his pack ignored him. "I suppose that means we'll have a fight on our hands," Miroku said, smiling pleasantly.

Inuyasha snorted. "Don't we always?" he asked, reaching over to Kirara to shake Shippou awake.

"Wha?" Shippou murmured, coming awake with a start. He rubbed at his eyes as he sat up. "Wha's going on?" he said, his words hazy.

"Kagome found a shard," Inuyasha told him. "You need to eat, because we're heading out as soon as we can."

Shippou yawned widely as he sat up and jumped off of Kirara's back. He sleepily made his way over to Sango, who gathered him into her side and placed food in front of his face, smiling when Shippou immediately grabbed it and stuffed it in his mouth. Inuyasha shared a smirk with Miroku as he sat down on the ground in front of the abandoned camp fire. They didn't have time to make one anymore, not if the shards were on the move.

Inuyasha decided to forgo better food, and instead satisfied his appetite with some bread and dried meat strips. That would keep him on his feet during the fight, if there was one, and if they had time afterwards he could indulge his stomach's needs. Until then, all he needed was enough substance to go on.

The rest of his pack ate equally as quickly, even Kagome, who, at first, hadn't understood the need to eat quickly the first time this kind of situation happened to them. Inuyasha had seen Sango take her quietly aside after that first time and explain the necessity of eating quickly and eating whatever they had if they were in a hurry to get shards. After that, it hadn't been a problem. Within ten minutes, they were all packed up again and ready to head out.

This time Kirara and her riders stayed close to Inuyasha as he darted through the trees, Kagome on his back. She whispered instructions in his ear, pointing when her words didn't suffice. Eventually, they stopped in another clearing, this one smaller and less distinct than the first. There was a small house in the very corner of it, but it looked old and abandoned. Otherwise, the clearing was empty. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.

"It's in there," Kagome whispered in his ear, arm extending over his shoulder so that she could point at the small hut.

"You sure?" Inuyasha asked. "It looks abandoned."

He could feel Kagome's annoyance. "Of course I'm sure!" she snapped. "Have I been wrong yet?"

Inuyasha sighed. "Get down. I'll go in first and check it out."

"I'll come with you," Miroku said, slipping off of Kirara's shoulders. Inuyasha heard Kagome huff as she climbed off of his back, but she didn't protest not going in with him, to Inuyasha's relief. Miroku was more than enough help for him.

Miroku came up to his side. "I'll enter first, and you cover my back," Inuyasha instructed, stalking slowly up to the door of the hut. He saw Miroku nod out of the corner of his eye, his friend's hand already on the purple cloth covering his hand, tugging it in the way he always did before a battle or when he was nervous.

The hut seemed quiet. In fact, the entire clearing seemed quiet. Inuyasha frowned. He couldn't hear birds nearby, or the sounds of wildlife in the bushes. Everything was still – unnaturally so. His sense of unease sharpened.

The door to the hut was well-made, but unlocked. Inuyasha took a deep breath and slowly pushed it open, one hand on Tetsusaiga. Immediately, he jumped inside, drawing his sword. He felt Miroku behind him, covering his blind spots. For a moment, all he could see was darkness, and then his eyes adjusted to the darkness. In surprise, his sword dropped an inch.

In front of him, an unconscious man was tied to a chair. He was human, by the smell of him, and while he had grey in his hair, his body was well-kept and fit. Blood had dried on his face, where someone had probably knocked him on the head, causing his unconsciousness. Inuyasha stared.

He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and was immediately on his guard, swinging his sword to a corner of the room where a figure he hadn't noticed was rising out of the darkness. Inuyasha took a deep sniff and his eyes widened. _Hanyou,_ he thought, although he couldn't tell what kind. He could tell the hanyou was some kind of cat, but trying to pinpoint it . . . . He'd never met a hanyou he couldn't pinpoint the smell of.

"I suppose you must be Inuyasha," the hanyou said, stepping into the light.

For some reason, his face seemed familiar. Inuyasha searched his features intently, taking in the long, dark, unruly hair, the sharp features, the large, very bright green eyes, and the sharp, jagged, poisonous green marks across his cheekbones. The hanyou was dressed in tight-fitting dark clothing, which explained why Inuyasha hadn't seen him right away, and there was a sword strapped to his hip. He black cat-like ears that blended in well with his hair, and Inuyasha managed to catch a glimpse of a cat tail swishing gently behind the hanyou.

"Who are you?" he asked, Tetsusaiga in the air again. "How do you know who I am?"

"And this must be the infamous Miroku," the hanyou said, as if he hadn't heard Inuyasha. "I suppose your other friends must be outside, awaiting a verdict."

"What is your name?" Miroku asked, sounding genuinely curious. "How do you know about us?"

The hanyou smiled and, to Inuyasha's disgruntlement, he answered Miroku's questions. "I know about you because the entire Western Land has been whispering about your deeds for months. Even living away from the world, as I have been, I have heard some of the tales." He paused, and then said, "As for my name, you may call me Hari."

"Well then, _Hari_," Inuyasha said with annoyance, "why do you have a human tied to a chair?"

Bright green eyes met his. Inuyasha had the disconcerting feeling that this Hari character was looking _through _him. He shifted on his feet, feeling uncomfortable for some reason.

"The reason," Hari said evenly, "is because that man decided to attack me. I _convinced_ him that it would be in his best interest not to."

"Why would he attack you?" Miroku asked, sounding as confused as Inuyasha felt.

Hari smiled a little. "I had a reputation, back in the day," he said, sounding much more cheerful. "They said no one was able to best me in a fight." Hari shook his head. "They were wrong, of course, but humans are always so eager to believe stories . . . . This man heard of where I was living now and decided to try and prove himself against me." Hari gave the unconscious body a disdainful look. "Of course, he felt it was in his best interest to try and even the playing field." He turned his gaze back to Inuyasha. "I suppose you're here for the shards?"

Inuyasha frowned at him. "How do you know about _that_?" he asked. "Surely the stories don't talk about the shards."

Hari smiled a little. "You all aren't very discreet, you know?" he said gently. "The humans have spread stories about how you ask about the shards, and the youkai you haven't killed have complained about how you stole the shards from them." Hari's smile fell. "Of course, I _am_ a little more well-informed than the average ningen." He raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to ask your lady friends inside? I just put some tea on a few minutes ago."

Inuyasha gaped at him. "Tea?" he asked, completely flustered by how nonchalant this strange hanyou was acting.

He felt Miroku's hand on his elbow. "We'd be glad to," he said. "Kagome!" he called, raising his voice. "Sango! Shippou! Come inside."

"Shippou?" Inuyasha heard Hari mutter to himself. "Ah yes, the kit."

Inuyasha's hand tightened on Tetsusaiga. How did Hari know about them? Surely it couldn't _all_ be from stories. He had mentioned that he was more "well-informed" than most. Inuyasha's eyes darted to the unconscious man. More than that, how had Hari defeated him? Kagome had said she'd sensed four or five shards, and they must have all been embedded in the human's body if he'd wanted to defeat a youkai. That many shards in his body must have put him on a nearly supernatural level. How powerful was Hari, to defeat him so easily?

He heard Kagome, Sango and Shippou enter behind him, and he heard Kagome's gasp of surprise.

"Inuyasha?" she said uncertainly. "What's going on?"

Hari spoke before Inuyasha could. "You must be Kagome," he said, his face thoughtful. "I've heard much about you." He looked at Inuyasha, who was edging protectively in front of Kagome. He smiled wryly. "Perhaps you should assure your overprotective pack leader that I don't have any shards in me."

Kagome pushed past Inuyasha, and Inuyasha nearly drew her back, wanting to keep as much distance between her and this strange, powerful hanyou as possible. Before he could, Kagome said, "He doesn't have any shards in him." She turned to look at the human, and her eyes widened. "Wow! This is even more than Kouga . . . He has two in every arm and leg, and one in his stomach." Her brow furrowed. "Why the stomach?" she added in confusion.

Hari was smiling. "His stomach felt like rock when I tried to punch him there," he said. "I assume he focused the other shards for speed, and that one for strength."

"How did you defeat him?" Sango asked suspiciously, coming up to Inuyasha's shoulder. Her eyes never left Hari. "That many shards would make him almost unbeatable."

Hari's smile didn't fade as he turned to face her. "I've had many years of experience, Miss Sango," he said. "And, more than that, I trained with the masters of my time. He was very good, that is true, but not good enough to beat me."

Kagome was at the unconscious man's side, drawing the shards out of his skin and purifying them. Hari didn't turn to watch the process, though he must have felt her doing it. Inuyasha could always feel it when Kagome purified the shards in his presence – the overwhelming evil in them drifted away, replaced by purity. Inuyasha was surprised Hari didn't watch – most people did when Kagome purified near them.

"Would you all like a cup of tea?" Hari asked, turning away from the group. Inuyasha resisted the instinct to pounce on the unprotected back.

"I'm afraid we must be going," Miroku said gently, his eyes on Inuyasha. Inuyasha knew that his pack mate was responding to his tension. "Now that we have what we have come for, we need to head back out again."

"Of course," Hari said, never looking away from his tea. "Well then, have a good journey. I wish you much luck in your endeavors."

"Thank you for your help," Sango said, still suspicious. Inuyasha noticed that her hands were tense, ready to go to her weapon.

"Yeah, thanks!" Kagome chirped as she carefully put the shards away, unaware of how tense her group mates were. Inuyasha had thought he'd instilled some common sense in her, but Kagome was still hopelessly naïve about some things. Even Shippou, perched on Kagome's shoulder, was quiet and tense.

The group turned to leave. Inuyasha stopped at Hari's voice. "Inuyasha," he said. For the first time since they'd entered the hut, he sounded something other than cheerful or neutral. He sounded sad. "Tell your brother hello from me."

Inuyasha whirled around on his heel, Tetsusaiga at the ready. _How does he know Sesshoumaru?_ "What do you mean, tell him _hello_?" he demanded to know.

Hari hadn't turned around to face Inuyasha, though he must've heard Tetsusaiga being drawn. "It's been a long time since I've talked to Sesshoumaru," he said calmly. "He might even think I'm dead now. Next time you see him, tell him hello from me."

Inuyasha glared at Hari's back. "When do you want me to tell him?" he demanded, his hand tightening on Tetsusaiga. "Before or _after_ he tries to kill me?"

Hari whirled around, almost too fast for the eye to see. "What?" he demanded, sounding angry. Inuyasha was startled by the emotion, and Tetsusaiga dropped an inch or so. "What do you mean, tries to _kill_ you?"

Inuyasha knew that the rest of his pack must be as confused as he was. "That's what he always does," he said, puzzled. Then he remembered who he was talking to and added with a sneer, "I thought you'd know, you two being _buddies_ and all."

Hari's eyes narrowed. "Of course I didn't know," he snapped, running a hand through his hair. "Sesshoumaru, you _idiot_," Hari muttered, startling a laugh out of Inuyasha. Hari's head snapped up at the sound of it, his eyes wide. "You really do sound just like him," he said, sounding sad. Then his face turned panicked, as if he hadn't meant to say that aloud.

"Like who?" Inuyasha asked, although he felt like some sort of revelation was going on in the back of his brain.

"It doesn't matter," Hari said carelessly. He watched Inuyasha closely, however, and Inuyasha figured that it _did_ matter.

"Like _who_?" he asked again, raising Tetsusaiga.

Hari's face turned pained. "I really didn't want to let you know," he said. "It's not like it really matters anymore, now that he's gone."

"Now that _who's_ gone?" Inuyasha questioned with exasperation. "Who are you talking about?"

"Inuyasha—" Kagome tried to break in.

"I'm talking about Kamin," Hari said forcefully. Inuyasha frowned at him and Hari laughed. The sound wasn't happy. "Great Merlin, Sesshoumaru never even told you _that_?"

"Told me what?" Inuyasha asked in a hard voice.

Hari met Inuyasha's eyes squarely. "Kamin is the real name of Inu no Taisho . . . . Although you may know him better as Father."

Tetsusaiga dropped completely to Inuyasha's side. "You knew my father?" he asked, feeling shocked.

There were so few people that knew his father still alive now. Sesshoumaru, of course, and Myouga, both of them shared very little about the youkai with Inuyasha. They hadn't even given him his father's name.

"Yeah, puppy, I did," Hari said, his eyes sympathetic. "Kamin was a good friend of mine."

"Why should we believe you?" Sango broke in, her hand resting protectively on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Maybe you're just making it up."

"Why would I lie?" Hari said, looking nonplussed.

"It's very suspicious, Hari-san, that we happen to run into you in the middle of an abandoned forest, after you've defeated someone who should be undefeatable, only to find out that you were good friends with Inuyasha's father and, apparently, his brother as well," Miroku said, stepping forward as well.

Hari surveyed the group closely – taking in Miroku and Sango standing at Inuyasha's shoulders like guards, as well as Kagome, standing off to the side, Shippou on her shoulder, both of them looking confused.

"You have a good pack, Inuyasha," he said warmly. "Your father would be happy."

Inuyasha tensed at the mention of his father. "Yeah, so?" he said carelessly. "The old man abandoned me and my mother – why would I care if he'd be happy for me?"

Hari's eyes turned sad. "I remember your mother," he said softly. "She was a good woman, and Kamin loved her dearly. I left before he died, but I don't think he would abandon her – or you, for that matter." Hari shook his head. "He was always a family man. He would be disappointed to learn how Sesshoumaru is treating you." Hari was silent for a long moment before he looked up, green eyes bright in the darkness. "How often do you meet up with Sesshoumaru, would you say?"

Inuyasha exchanged a cautious look with Miroku before deciding to answer truthfully. "It depends," he said. "Usually every month or so, though." He frowned. "Why?"

Hari sighed slowly. "Kamin would never forgive me for allowing his sons to fight each other," he said. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to accompany you for a while. If you see Sesshoumaru so often, I'll be much more likely to meet with him if I stay around you then if I tried to find him on my own."

Inuyasha huffed incredulously. "You want to try and get us to _stop_ fighting?" he asked in disbelief. "Good luck, pal. Sesshoumaru won't listen to you."

Hari smiled, and Inuyasha was surprised by the sharpness in it. "I practically raised that puppy," he said, a little viciously. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll listen to me, or I'll beat it out of him."

Inuyasha stared. "Why do you care so much?" he asked, bewildered. _Why do you care so much that Sesshoumaru wants to kill me? Why do you seem to care so much about_ me?

Hari smiled, viciousness dropping from his face like a discarded blanket. "You're Kamin's son," he said. "Kamin saved my life more than once – the least I can do is look after his son. Well, sons," Hari amended. "If Sesshoumaru sees reason, that is." He eyed the group closely. "I understand if you want to discuss it with your pack."

Inuyasha turned around (all the while trying to get rid of the feeling that he was exposing himself to the enemy) and looked at his pack members. They'd been together for a long time; communication no longer was required to be verbal for them to understand each other. Miroku looked relaxed – he trusted Hari, to a certain extent, and Inuyasha knew that Miroku would be glad to be rid of Sesshoumaru's attacks. Sango still looked tense, but that was likely because of Hari's abilities – she wouldn't have missed how easily he'd defeated the superhuman ningen either. Kagome, on the other hand, looked eager, as did Shippou. Inuyasha sighed. They were probably happy for a new companion. His pack was close, but sometimes new blood did some good.

Inuyasha turned back. Hari was smiling at him, as if he already knew the outcome. "Alright," Inuyasha said. "You can come with us. But you only stay until you've talked to Sesshoumaru, understood? And you don't get in our way."

Hari bowed deeply. "Of course," he said. Inuyasha heard the amusement in his voice and scowled. Hari straightened. "Let me gather my things and we can be off."

"We'll wait outside," Miroku said, taking Inuyasha by the elbow to lead him out of the door. "Hurry."

"Yes, I know," Hari said, already moving around his hut, presumably gathering his things.

Inuyasha blinked rapidly as they stepped into the bright daylight. He turned to see Miroku regarding him closely.

"Are you sure about him?" he asked, calm as ever. Inuyasha had rarely seen anything upset Miroku.

Inuyasha shrugged. "He's not gonna hurt us," he said simply. "I dunno how I know, but I don't think he will."

Miroku smiled. "That's the same impression I got," he said.

Sango was frowning at them. "I suppose," she said reluctantly. "But did you see how easily he took out that shards guy? I mean, with so many in him, he'd have to be on Sesshoumaru's level – even if he was a bad fighter to start with. He could take us out pretty easily if he decides to."

"We can't say that he will," Kagome pointed out. "I mean, he seemed pretty nice! For a hermit, anyways." She looked around the clearing. "I wonder how many people he's seen over the years. I mean, this isn't a popular forest to go through, is it?"

Inuyasha knew it wasn't. Sango had travelled that way because of necessity, and they had travelled it because it made it harder (even if only a little) for Naraku to find them. The main reason the forest was so deserted was that it only had one road going through it, and it was badly maintained and hard to travel on. Inuyasha doubted that Hari had seen someone that wasn't intentionally coming to his hut for years.

"I still think we should keep an eye on him, Inuyasha," Sango said. "He seems alright, but . . . ." She didn't have to finish. They all knew how deceiving appearances were, especially when dealing with something as special as the shards and someone as tricky as Naraku. Besides, he was Sesshoumaru's friend. That made him seem edgy at best.

"I know," Inuyasha said. "We'll keep an eye on him, Sango. If he tries anything, we'll stop him."

"Well, I'm pleased that you've come to a decision." Miroku was stifling laughter and Sango had turned bright red. Inuyasha turned to see Hari standing behind him, a smirk playing at the edge of his lips.

Inuyasha growled at him. "You'd do the same," he said.

Hari's smirk turned into a smile. "Of course," he said. "You have to learn how to take a joke, Inuyasha," he added.

Inuyasha huffed as Miroku laughed outright and Kagome and Shippou giggled in unison. Even Sango's blush faded and she smiled.

"Are we ready to leave then?" Hari asked.

Inuyasha examined him. "You don't have anything on you," he said suspiciously.

Hari smiled, fingering a pendant at his throat. "Appearances are deceiving," he said. "Trust me, I have everything I need."

Inuyasha eyed him. "Alright," he said slowly, "but if you suddenly remember something you gotta have when we're on the road, we're not coming back for it."

"Of course," Hari said, his grin widening. "I wouldn't _dream_ of it."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and turned back to his pack. "Hari can ride on Kirara?" he asked Sango. Sango looked down at the shrunken cat and then seemed to have a silent conversation for a moment before she nodded sharply. "Alright. We'll meet outside the forest to make camp."

Kirara grew and her four passengers climbed on. Inuyasha watched Hari closely to see if he'd try any tricks, but he seemed perfectly gentlemanly. He even let Shippou climb onto his lap and fall asleep without a word of complaint. Within minutes, Kirara was away, moving at a speed that Inuyasha knew matched his own.

Kagome sighed. "C'mon, Inuyasha, otherwise we won't catch up with them." She climbed onto his back.

Inuyasha sighed and started to race into the trees.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

"Master."

Red eyes looked up. Naraku leaned back in his throne-like chair, surveying the lowly minion in front of him.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently.

The minion bowed low. "Master, the hanyou is on the move."

Naraku frowned. "The dog hanyou?" he asked. If it was so, he'd have the minion punished. He already knew Inuyasha and his mangy pack's whereabouts.

The minion bowed again. "No, master. The cat hanyou, the one you asked to have watched at all times."

Naraku froze and leaned forward. "Where has he gone?" he asked urgently. "With whom?"

The minion fidgeted, obviously not wanting to tell his master the news. "He left with the dog hanyou, Inuyasha, and his pack," he said finally. "They left this afternoon." He added hastily, "I came as soon as I could to report."

Naraku leaned back in his chair, his mind running through the possibilities. So Hari had met Inuyasha! It was not an alliance that he would have wished – Hari was much too powerful, and if he trained Inuyasha . . . . Naraku growled, making the minion flinch. If Hari trained Inuyasha, then the hanyou could very well become as unbeatable as his older brother. More than that, with Hari with him, Inuyasha had a chance to mend fences with Sesshoumaru, which couldn't be allowed at _any_ cost. The brothers were much easier to deal with apart and fighting than together and united.

He looked up at the minion. "Follow their trail," he instructed. "Watch what they do and bring me back whatever news you can, as soon as possible. Focus on the cat hanyou – Inuyasha already has his own spies." The minion bowed again and left the room.

Naraku sighed and stared at his wall. "Hari, my old friend," he murmured to himself. "What will you do next?" Whatever it was, he'd know about it somehow. _And then,_ Naraku thought with a gleeful smile, _perhaps I can finally put an end to Hari once and for all._

* * *

**Author's Note:** This is pretty short, but I wanted to get it out since I was already late. The next one will be longer hopefully. Hope you guys enjoy it! It's quite different from the original first meeting, but I like it better. And yes, Naraku will once again be a big deal in this story. Please leave a review!


	3. Interlude 1: First Meeting

**Wasted  
****Interlude One: First Meeting**

* * *

Harry sighed deeply as he walked down the worn paths of his adopted village. Dusk had fallen, and the shadows grew longer and longer with every step. Soon it would be dark, but the moon was full tonight, and it shone so brightly on some nights that it almost seemed like daytime. Harry rarely travelled after the sun had set, but he'd spent a long time in the forest surrounding the village today.

He'd stumbled across this village, Kao, when he'd first arrived in this strange place. He'd been surprised at how rustic everything was, and had surmised that he must've travelled back in time, as well as across worlds. This world, however, was very similar to his own. He'd been surprised at _how_ similar they were.

When he'd first come to the village, all of the people there had been speaking a language he hadn't been able to understand. He'd stayed away from the village until he managed to find a translation charm. It was a charm that had been developed by a seventeenth century wizard who had travelled a lot and hadn't wanted to learn a new language from scratch every time he went somewhere new. Harry was immensely grateful for it – as the weeks went on, he started to gain a little understanding of his own of the Japanese language, but trying to learn it all on his own would have taken years.

He'd found work as a carpenter in the village. They were hit by storms often enough to keep him in business – the winds were enough to cause damage, and sometimes a bolt of lightning would hit a house and destroy the area around it as well. That had happened during the last storm, to everyone's surprise – most of the times, the lightning hit the trees in the forest surrounding them, not the village itself. It was the reason Harry had been out so late. The family whose house had been destroyed wanted it fixed as soon as possible, and Harry worked alone, which meant just that much work for him.

Still, it was a good job. It didn't require a lot of finesse, as the houses themselves were pretty crude, and it paid enough to get by. It didn't stop Harry from wondering if he this was all he'd do with the new life he'd been given. Did he want to spend all of his time in this new world in a small village? He'd considered travelling farther, but a part of him always shrunk from the idea. He'd had enough of adventure to last a lifetime. This simple life was something he'd longed for during the years of Voldemort's reign of terror. But now that he was away from the adventure, a part of him longed for it.

Harry sighed. Why couldn't he just be content where he was? He had a job, he'd made some friends, and there was peace here. Why couldn't he just be happy with that?

"Hey, Hari!"

Harry turned and scowled when he saw who was behind him. They were the village thugs; Lao and Mui. He supposed the only people he could compare them to was Crabbe and Goyle, although, to their credit, Lao and Mui were much smarter than those particular thugs. Harry didn't think it was an improvement – a cruel thug was still a thug, in the end.

"What can I do for you boys?" he asked wearily. He just wanted to go home.

Lao was smirking. He wasn't a good-looking boy – his face was too wide and his nose was too broad and blunt for that. "We just wanted to have a talk with you," he said casually, stepping forward.

Harry frowned. There was something in Lao's voice that sent his hackles rising. "Oh?" he asked, adopting Lao's casual tone, even as he prepared himself for a fight. "What about?"

"You know, Hari," Mui said, stepping forward as well. He was slimmer than Lao, and taller, but just as ugly. "It's not nice to try and steal someone's girl."

Harry blinked in surprise, caught completely off-guard. "What're you talking about?" he asked in confusion.

Lao smiled coldly. "We saw you and Sakura yesterday."

Harry racked his brain, trying to remember a Sakura. He suddenly remembered – Sakura was the daughter of the family whose house had been damaged. She was an insipid little thing who fluttered her eyelashes too much. And Harry remembered overhearing gossip that Lao liked her. Harry groaned inwardly and rolled his eyes.

Lao caught the eye-roll, even in the dark. "Oh, you think it's _funny_, do you?" he snarled, his pretense at being good-humored melting away. "Trying to steal my girl away and you think it's _funny_?"

"I wasn't aware she was _yours_," Harry said with annoyance. "But that's beside the point – I wasn't trying to steal her away from you. I don't want her."

"It didn't look like it," Lao said, stepping forward again, with Mui at his shoulder. "It looked like you were flirting with her." Lao stepped forward again, until he was in Harry's space. Harry tensed. He didn't like people in his space. "Just because you're a fucking pretty boy doesn't mean you get to flirt with my woman, understand?"

"Get away from me," Harry said, soft and deadly. This boy was getting on his last nerve.

Lao had the audacity to smirk at him and poke him in the chest with one of his fingers. "Why should I?" he asked.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I don't have a problem with you, Lao," he said clearly. "But if you don't get away from me, you'll find yourself in a world of pain."

"Mui, do you think I should move?" Lao asked, still smirking.

"Of course not," Mui said, his expression mirroring his friend's.

"Well, if Mui says it's alright, then it must be," Lao said, and sent a fist into Harry's gut.

Harry grunted as it hit him – Lao was too close and Harry hadn't actually expected him to be bold enough to punch Harry, so he hadn't tried to get out of the way fast enough. Before he could recover, Lao was punching him again, harder, and Mui was moving in as well. Harry was forced to his knees from the blows. Even if they were cruel little creeps, they had strong arms and they knew how to fight.

"Do you really expect her to go after a filthy little pretty boy like you?" Lao shouted as he rained blows and kicks on Harry's body. "She likes _real_ men, Hari, and the sooner you figure that out, the better!"

Harry wanted to tell him that if being a real man meant beating someone else up, then he felt that Lao was doing it wrong, but then he got a kick to the stomach that sent all of the breath rushing out of his body. He felt humiliation rise up in him. He was better than they were at fighting, and yet they still were managing to beat him up.

"Hey!" Harry's humiliation spiked. _Great,_ he thought. _Someone to witness me getting beat up by a pair of goons. Just perfect._ "Leave him alone!"

Harry let out a sigh of relief as Lao was pulled off of him. Wincing, he managed to get to his feet in time to see Lao getting punched in the face. The stranger turned to Mui to do the same thing, but Mui was already running away. Harry snorted. So much for loyalty.

The stranger turned to him and Harry was surprised to see golden eyes staring at him. The stranger's hair was white, and there were slashes across his cheeks that spoke of his youkai heritage. Harry froze.

"Let me help you," the stranger said, hurrying to Harry's side, trying to help him up.

Harry shrugged him off. "I don't need your help," he snapped, humiliation and fear making him sharper than normal. "Thank you for getting them away from me, but you can just leave me alone now."

He turned sharply on his heel and limped away from the stranger, hoping that he hadn't had enough time to smell hanyou on Harry.

* * *

The next day, Hari was in the middle of working when he heard a yell go through the village. He paused in the middle of getting the roof fixed and straightened, wiping sweat off of his brow, to see what was causing all of the hubbub. He squinted, but the sun was in his eyes and all he could see was a group of people walking through the village. He caught sight of white hair and curiosity rose. He didn't know anyone in the village with white hair. Carefully he jumped off the roof of the building he was repairing, landing next to one of the villages elders, Mizuki. She was watching the crowd gathering on the main (and only) road of Kao with a fond smile.

"What's going on?" Hari asked curiously. Mizuki turned to him.

"The Western Lord is coming through our village," she said brightly. "He is doing his yearly border check. It is a great honor for our village!"

Hari blinked. He'd heard of the Western Lord, but only briefly – the most any one had told him was that he was a youkai and ruled over the land that Hari had chosen to live in. Beyond that, Hari hadn't needed to know much about him. Still, he couldn't help but be curious. He plodded up to the side of the road, watching closely as the procession started down the main road. He heard calls and yells, mostly of well-wishes and blessings, as the Lord and his company progressed through the village at a stately pace.

When they were finally close enough to see, Hari froze. The Western Lord – he was the man from last night, the man who had saved him from him humiliating mugging and who might know that he was a hanyou and not a normal human. _Shite,_ Harry thought, trying to move through the crowd. He had to get away, before the Lord saw him.

Harry had kept his glamours up since he arrived at Kao and learned that humans regarded hanyous as disgusting mistakes of nature. Harry had had enough of being an outcast, and he hadn't wanted to move on so quickly, so he'd kept his nature quiet. He supposed that the view on hanyous must be the same on the youkai side, and that if the Lord knew that Harry was one, he'd be ordered into a prison or executed or something. He'd heard horror stories from some of the young men about what happened to hanyous who weren't ashamed of their freakishness.

Harry had nearly gotten away when he heard, "Stop!"

He froze halfway through his flight and turned to meet golden eyes. The crowd around him grew quiet and Harry felt his neck prickle as dozens of eyes came to rest on him.

"Will you please come with me?" the Lord asked, politer than Harry would've given him credit for. "We need to speak to one another."

Harry could feel a flush burning his face, just as he could feel the surprise from the humans around him. Unable to say no to a Lord in front of dozens of people, and sure that he would be tracked down anyways, he hesitantly came up to the group. He saw that several of his companions were giving the Lord wary looks as well.

As soon as Harry was by his side, the Lord turned to the nearest house and entered it, not even stopping to ask if he could use it. Harry frowned. Apparently he wasn't quite _that_ polite. Quietly, Harry followed him inside.

The Lord looked too big for the small, crude house. "How are you feeling?" he asked, looking sincerely concerned. "I worried that you may be more seriously injured than you let on last night."

"I'm fine," Harry said gruffly. "Although why you had to call me out in the middle of the street just to make sure of that seems a little odd to me."

The Lord smiled. "I'll admit, it's more than that," he said. Harry looked up. The Lord's eyes were very deep and very gold. "You're hanyou."

Harry tensed. "Yes," he said tersely.

"Where are your features?" The Lord asked, sounding more curious than judgmental.

Harry shrugged. "I found a way to hide them," he said. He lifted his chin. "What're you going to do to me now?" he demanded to know.

The Lord sighed. "I know that there is a general prejudice against hanyous, but I don't make it a habit to kill them," he said. "In fact, I was wondering if you would like to join me."

Harry blinked in surprise. "Join you?" he asked, nonplussed. "But why?"

The Lord shrugged. "I can't imagine you want to hide who you are for the rest of your life here," he said. "And, to be honest, I need a tutor for my son when I return home."

Harry eyed him like he was crazy. "You don't even know if I can read or write or do any other . . . tutor-like things," he said suspiciously.

The Lord smiled. "Those are important too," he said. "But I want Sesshoumaru to learn the importance of trusting people due to who they are, not what their blood is. Having a hanyou tutor will help with that." The Lord paused, then added, "_Can_ you read and write? And do tutor-like things?" There was a twinkle in his eye.

Harry sniffed. "Well, yes—"

"Perfect! You're hired."

Harry eyed the Lord suspiciously. "You're a strange man," he said finally. A tingle was starting to work its way through his body. This was something that a part of him had been longing for – an adventure!

The Lord inclined his head. "I am," he said, smiling. "But I don't believe this investment will be a waste, or that you'll let me down." The Lord looked up again, meeting Harry's eyes. "I most often called Inu no taisho," he said, "but my given name is Kamin. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Harry watched him for a moment, then bowed. "I don't have a title," he said dryly, "so really, the only name you can call me is Hari."

Kamin laughed. "I think we'll get on just fine, Hari."

"We'll see," Harry muttered, turning to go back out and start this new chapter of his life.

* * *

**Author's Note:** There won't be many of these interludes, but I figured I might as well put one at the start so you all can see how Kamin and Harry meet. Next chapter will be in the present. Please leave a review!


End file.
